COVID-19 has allowed for greater appreciation for the importance of public schools. Families are realizing the essential caretaking role school plays and how teachers bolster student’s well-being on a daily basis. COVID-19 is highlighting the central role of education in the economic, social, and political prosperity/stability of the general population. Strong and inclusive public education systems are essential to the short and long term recovery of society. It is extremely vital that society does not allow education to dip and fail because of the switch to remote learning. It is insanely essential to develop “powered-up schools,” which take charge as the center of a community and leverages the most effective relationships to help students develop a myriad of skills in and out of the school. This adaptation will be done by regularly assessing student’s skills and tailoring learning experiences to make sure no student is left behind. This will ensure that students’ mental health does not suffer, one of the main concerns during such a debilitating pandemic. In this article, it includes an amazing graphic that basically demonstrates how all spheres of society revolve around schools. It describes how schools affect family life (mental health within families, care-taking during the day (especially for preschoolers), and how life revolves around school), out of school programs (students are educated on opportunities/paths in school), health and social protection agencies (protect health and well-being of student, like psychologists in school), and employers and businesses (fund a lot of activities/opportunities to get involved, for example: sports). The central question educators are asking is “is it realistic that during such a novel pandemic, education can actually come out stronger?” This is aspirational, but not unrealistic. It will be difficult due to education inequality, which is rapidly increasing due to remote learning. However, in wealthier communities schooling has never been better, through learning pods (small groups of students learning together). In fact, less than 25% of poor communities/countries provided any type of remote education. Raising public support and working with education allies (through social welfare programs) will help achieve this question/goal.
